"With the death toll rising among North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia against Ukraine, the regime in Pyongyang is resorting to a tried-and-trusted technique of ensuring the loyalty of the people: propaganda. Late last month, North Korean state media broadcast a documentary detailing the actions of troops serving in Ukraine, which did not shy away from the deaths of its military personnel."
"According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, the program told of two soldiers Yun Jong-hyuk, 20 and Woo Wi-hyuk, 19 who found themselves surrounded but chose to kill themselves by detonating a grenade rather than be captured. The soundtrack described the young men's deaths as "heroic sacrifices." While tales of brave soldiers sacrificing themselves for the motherland and young people urged to enlist in the military to become "bullet and bomb suicide squads" would fall on deaf ears elsewhere,"
""It's what the North does: ideological indoctrination to educate both current soldiers and the next generation," Min Seong-jae, a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University in New York, told DW. The program depicted other similarly heroic, sacrificial suicides, which have become more prevalent since two injured North Korean soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian troops shortly after they were first deployed. "They show footage of troops committing suicide because it fits squarely into the regime's longstanding narrative of ultimate loyalty and sacrifice," Min said."
North Korean state media broadcast a documentary depicting troops sent to fight for Russia in Ukraine and detailing the deaths of military personnel. The program named soldiers Yun Jong-hyuk and Woo Wi-hyuk and described their choice to detonate grenades rather than be captured as "heroic sacrifices." Propaganda framed such suicides as ultimate loyalty and urged youth enlistment, including language about "bullet and bomb suicide squads." Analysts note the regime's tight control over domestic media removes alternative narratives, while imagery of leader Kim Jong Un consoling families reinforces absolute devotion.
Read at www.dw.com
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